The Economic Ignorance Gap Between Liberals and Conservatives

Good old John Edwards was actually right about one thing. He said there were two Americas. Under Obama, the John Edwards fantasy has come true. The first America is represented by those who work in the government sector (who almost always support Obama and vote Democrat), and who think the private sector is doing fine. The second America is represented by private sector entrepreneurs, small business owners, and job creators (who almost always support conservative candidates and causes) who know the terrible truth – the economy is in horrible shape. The difference is due to economic ignorance. To save America, we must ignore those in the government sector and start listening to those in the private sector who are living at "ground zero." They are the experts. They have "boots on the ground." They understand first-hand what Obama’s policies have created - complete economic collapse.

The dirty secret rarely discussed or explained by the media is this gap between what conservatives think of the economy versus what liberals think. See the polls. Democrats think the economy is in recovery with a bright future. Republicans think the economy is in horrible shape, and worsening. How could two groups look at the same economy and see things so differently?  Why doesn’t the media discuss this disparity? The simple truth is the media doesn't like the answer.

The truth is Democrats who so want to support their President are simply delusional, or more likely, ignorant of basic economics. Quite frankly, it’s hard to blame them. Most Democrats I know work for big government, a big union, a big corporation, or the media. They don’t sell anything. They don’t own a business, or work on commission. They are paid for just showing up, never based on performance or profits. They don’t know about budgets, profits, or losses. They get a safe paycheck every week, have a pretty much guaranteed job for life, and a pension when they retire. They are nice people, but don’t have a clue about what’s really going on, because they don't sell things on Main Street. Nor do they have any of their own money at risk. Nor do they notice or care if their employer (the government) bleeds billions of dollars in losses. They can see only as far as their own weekly paycheck.

Most Democrats simply punch a clock, get paid, week in and week out for years. Many get automatic raises every year if they work for the government. As long as they still have their job (which 99% of government employees do), their lives are pretty much untouched by the economic tragedy around us. No one is saying they are bad people. They aren't. But they sure aren't experts on how you create jobs or turnaround an economy.

The private sector is a completely different story. Most of my friends who are Republican, conservative, or Libertarian either work for themselves or get paid based on commission or performance (real estate brokers, stockbrokers, insurance brokers, mortgage brokers). They all know that the USA is in total economic collapse and headed for a Greece-like disaster. They know because their incomes are down by 20%, 30%, 50% and more. The private sector is devastated from coast to coast. We are all shell-shocked. We've never seen anything like this in our lifetimes.

So there you have it. The “Economic Ignorance Gap” explained. The people who live in a government world have the same basic income year after year. They know zero about economics, or the risks of using their own money to run a business on a budget (or go broke and lose everything). In their world, government takes care of you, hands you a check,  protects your job for life, and allows you to retire early on a $100,000 pension. Their economy is just fine. They are blissfully ignorant and protected from the harsh reality of the real world. Who protects them? Who is their guardian against the realities and harshness of life in the real world? Obama and Democratic politicians like him. No wonder they vote for Obama, idolize him, and ignore reality to protect him. Their jobs and incomes depend on his benevolence and bribery.

The same goes for members of the media. NY Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman is Exhibit A. Krugman is of the belief that the answer to the bankruptcy of America, due to binge spending by government, is more binge spending by government. They give Nobel Prizes for that? What's the category- Delusion? Like Krugman, the economic knowledge of Obama's supporters comes from books. Unfortunately, the books were written by Karl Marx.

Then there’s the rest of us, struggling in Obama’s America. Those of us in the private sector, who risk our own money, run our own businesses, or are paid based on performance are being decimated, watching as our life’s work is melting away. Forget about paying ourselves, we’re struggling to keep our doors open, make payroll, and now, pay for Obamacare. It’s that bad. Did I forget to mention that we are being hounded and harassed by the IRS like never before in history? How can anyone run a business and create jobs in an environment like this?

A Wisconsin flag seller just filed for bankruptcy. In Obama’s economy a patriot can’t make a living selling America flags. The ESPN Zone restaurant chain has gone out of business. Under Obama you can’t make a living anymore selling cheap food and overpriced beer! Even in Las Vegas, my home, is in trouble. The only casinos making money are those whose revenues are mostly from Macao. Their Vegas operations are dying, but they make so much money in China it doesn’t matter anymore.

Think these are isolated examples? Last week's announcement that U.S. manufacturing activity plummeted to the lowest level in 3 years proves this is a slow-motion economic collapse under Obama. Just like in Europe, add together a toxic stew of big taxes, big spending, demonization of business owners, too many government rules and regulations, union intimidation, IRS intimidation, billions wasted on green energy, and lawyers trying to sue us all out of business (if the unions, government regulations, and IRS haven't already succeeded)- and you get economic disaster. Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the U.S. economy created just 80,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate is holding steady at 8.2 percent. It's all happening right now, right in front of our eyes. It's pretty simple to connect the dots.

The “Economic Ignorance Gap” tells it all. Anyone who makes a living by selling something, anything at all, is in deep trouble. They see an ever worsening disaster under Obama- up close and personal. They fear for the survival of their businesses and they are terrified for the future of America. These are the people we ought to be listening too. The private sector is in distress. We see and feel this Obama Great Depression deepening.

Wayne Allyn Root is a Capitalist Evangelist and serial entrepreneur. He is a former Libertarian vice presidential nominee. He now serves as Chairman of the Libertarian National Campaign Committee. He is the best-selling author of "The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold & Tax Cuts." His web site: www.ROOTforAmerica.com 

A version of this column originally appeared on FoxNews.com.